Update: Father and son both died of gunshot wounds
Correction: The original story’s headline read “Santa Margarita” the incident occurred in California Valley, east of Santa Margarita.
–The Sheriff’s Office is releasing the identities of the subjects found deceased on Monday inside the residence in the 12000 block of Arrow Bear Trail in California Valley. 70-year-old Edward Chavez Mendoza and his son, 37-year-old Edmundo Eduardo Mendoza Jr. were found deceased in their residence at 11:17 a.m. Both individuals died of gunshot wounds. At this point in the investigation, there does not appear to be any outstanding suspects or threat to the community.
This was the ninth response by the Sheriff’s Office to this residence since 2012. Of these responses, four calls involved a subject with mental illness causing a disturbance. Three of these calls resulted in a subject at the house being taken into protective custody for a mental health evaluation. At one time, this residence was one of the larger growers of cannabis in California Valley with approximately 500 plants. The owners had recently been scaling back their cultivation of cannabis due to the County Cannabis Ordinance that took effect on 1/1/18, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The search of the residence on Monday by Sheriff’s Detectives during this investigation resulted in the seizure of 4 handguns, 2 shotguns and body armor. One of the handguns recovered was reported stolen from the San Bernardino area. The autopsies of Mendoza and Mendoza Jr. are scheduled for Thursday. This investigation is continuing.
Original story posted Jan. 30
–On Monday at approximately 11:17 a.m. the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible deceased subject in a single family residence in California Valley, east of Santa Margarita.
Upon arrival Sheriff’s Deputies, along with assisting Wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, located two deceased subjects inside the home.
The investigation is currently ongoing. The release of the decedents names are pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.
The Sheriff’s Office has no information indicating that there is any danger to the public related to this incident at this time. Further information will be released when available.
